Ice-machine.



H. D. POWNALL.

ICE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1908.

Patented July 19, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SEEET 1.

N E T W OFFICE iIENnY POWNALL, or cINoINNA'rI, OHIO.

,1 ICE-MACHINE.

- speeification of Letters Patent. Patented Ju1y 19, 1910,

Application filed May 18, 1908. Serial No.i433, 522. f

- cooling/and circulating the brine.

Another object is to simplify the brine cooling and gas expansion mechanism, and to reduce the quantity of expansion pipe or surface requlred.

Another object is to provide a mechanism Which can be assembled in the factory .instead of being erected at the place where it is to be used.

Another object is to secure a minimum frictional resistance to. the refrigerant during expansion, and to prevent the formation of pockets of oil or other obstructions to the circulation of the refrigerant.

Another object is to prevent the passa e of vaporous or' liquid refrigerant to the ohtake pipes.

Another object is to avoid the use of expansion coils in close proximity to the ice cans,

Another object is to provide mechanism more readily accessible for repairs.

Another object is to provide improved mechanism for separating and removing oil, Water andother impurities from the refrigerant in the expansion mechanism.

Another object is to provide improved mechanism for automatically controlling the supply of refrigerant to the expansion mechanism.

It further consists .in certain details of form, combination and arrangement, all of cooling and circulating mechanism embodying my improvements. Fig. 9 is 'a vertical section on km a 2.0f Fig. 1, also disclosing 1n central vertlcal section the mechamsm for separating impurities. F ig. 3 is a View simi-' lar to Fig. lof a modification. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a modification of the brine cooling mechanism. Figs. 5' and 6 are plan views of brine tanks and coolin and circulating mechanism illustrating mo ifications of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the gas expanding and brine cooling mechanism, and mechanism for automatically feeding the fefrigerant thereto. Fig. 8 is aperspective View of a section ofon'e of the brine cooling pipes. Fig. 9 is a section on line w w of Fig. 8. v

ism for cooling and circulating the brine.

In the accompanying drawingsFigs. 1 and .2 represent the preferred form of'm'echan Arepresents a metal tank and A an insulating covering for the exterior thereof.

The tank A is subdivided by partitions a a a a into separate compartments 0a a a a a \Vhen used-for the manufacture of ice, the compartments a a are filled with cans a of fresh Water to be frozen, Which cans are surrounded with cold brine. The partition a is perforated, and the compartment a serves as a passage Way for the brine from compartment 0: to compartment a B represents a sheet metal tank or drum, preferablycylindrical with heads I) at oppoL- site ends, and preferably a hood b at one or both ends. Y

IF represents tubes passing through drmn B from end to end and secured tightly at opposite ends tov the heads I). The drum B passes through they partition a or abuts an opening therein, so that the brine is free ment (1 to compartn'ient a C represents a brinecirculator, preferablyto pass through the tubes 72 from comparta propeller having blades 0 and journaled in Sleeve. 0 and journal box represents a tight and c a loose pulley between the ice cans, and thence into compartm'ent a where the brine circulates around and between the-various ice cans and from compartment a enters compartment a I -forationsaf in the partition a.

The drum B is maintained nearly full of liquefied gas which is supplied by means of a valve controlled supply pipe 6?. A liquid gage b serves'to indicate to the operator the 4 height of the liquefied gas in drum B. An

oft-take or suction pipe 6 leads from the top of drum B to the ice machine compressor ,or absorber to conduct away from drum B the refrigerating gas as soon as it has assumed the gaseous state and transferred its negative heat to the brine circulating through the tubes 6 By this arrangement the inner Wall of drum B and practically all of the tubes 6? are in direct contact with liquid gas upon one side and in contact with the brine to be cooled upon the other side, thus producing a device of compact form and great efliciency per unit surface employed; also by submerging thedrum B in the brine in compartments a a the exterior of the drum becomes an active surface, and no insulating material is required upon the exterior of the drum. Also the parts are all subjected. to

a'uniform temperature and expand and con-- tract in unison. The drum-B and .its contained parts can be readilyassembled and tested at the factory, and are conveniently accessible for repairs. Where large brine tanks-are required, two or more drums B may be employed in connection with the one brine I tank as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. The circulator'or propeller may be variously located relative to the tank and drum B 01'' brine =cooling member, so lon as it serves to create a' circulation of brine t ough the tank and thence over the face of the brine cooling I memb er. In order-to purify the liquefied gas and -=se'parate therefrom the oil, water, and other- I impurities which tend-to accumulate in the lower part of drum B, I prov de a'pipe E leadingd'ownward. from drum B and into .aclosed chamber e, pipe E being controlled y a valve 6? i I F represents a. pipe tapping the up er portion of chamber e, controlled by a va ve f and connected at theoppositeend to suetion pipe I). 4

represents atank in which chamber e as located and adapted to be immersed in a heating medium such as steam preferably hot water.

or hot water,

9 represents a supply pi e forthe heating medium, and g an overlibw pipe for the same.

f represents a (pipethrough which the impurities may be" ischarged from chamber a mto a receiver f control ed by valve is, through the .e

In practice, when it becomes desirable to withdraw impurities, a quantity of the contents of drum B is drawn off into chamber 6 until chamber 6 is half to two-thirds full, then valve 6 is closed, heat is applied to chamber 6 and valve f opened, when the liquefied gas will vaporize and pass oif through pipe F, leaving the impurities in chamber 6, from which they may be withdrawn.

In the modification Fig. 3 the drum B instead of being immersed in the brine in a compartment of the brine tank, is located at one end thereof and is connected to the brine tank at opposite ends by means of metal head pieces H H clamped to the ends of drum B and provided with passages h h leading thebrine to and from drum B. The propeller 71. is mounted upon the head 12.. Drum B may if desired, where space is limited, be located either above or below the end of the brine tank instead of at the end as shown in Fig. 3. Drum B is provided with a non-conducting covering 12..

In Fig. 7 I have shown means to automatically regulate the flow of liquefied gas to'the drum B, thus uniformly maintaining the liquefied gas therein at the desired height. I represents a chamber at one side of which is a valve 6 which is controlled by the movements of a float z". A pipe J eonnects the lower portion of chamber l with the lower portion of drum B, while pipe K connects 'the upper portion of chamber I with the suction pipe or upper portion of drum B, so,that the liquefied gas assumes the same level in chamber I as in drum B, and whenever the level of liquefied gas falls the float i o ens valve 2' and adnnts more liquefied gas rom the pipe k which supplies the liquefied gas, and which then flows through pipe is, :controlled by valve k and enters ipe J. It represents a'by-pass pipe which liquefied gas can be supplied to drum B in the event that valve zflshould fail to 0 erate from any cause. represents the iquid gage to indicate the height of the liquefied gas in drum B. The chamber I and connecting pipes may be submerged in the brine by the side of drum B if desired.

In constructing the drums B B I referably employ tubes of the character indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, that is tubes having cylindrical ends and a spiral or corrugated instead of cylindrical middle section. Tubes ofv thischaracter are more flexible endwise,

and are thus less liable to injure the joints where the ends of the tubes are united to the heads of the drum. They also imfpart a spiral movement to the brine owing thron h the tubes and thus greatly increase fi lciency of the device per unit area exposed.

In Fig. -1 I have shown a modification of the brine cooling member to be employed in pipes L by means of pipes m, preferably of smaller diameter than pipes L. M represent-s a header at the opposite end of compartment Z near the top, and which is connected to the opposite end of pipes L by pipes m, also preferably of smaller diameter than pipes L. .Two or more sets of pipes L and headers M M are preferably arranged side by side in compartment Z, and connected together by a header N to Which the liquefied gas supply pipe n is connected, which header N is connected to each header M by a .pipe a and to each header M by a pipe W. T represents a liquid gage to indicate the height of liquefied gas in the pipes L. In operation the liquefied gas is supplied so as to fill all the pipes L, but not the headers 1W The vaporized gas from pipes L m and headers M rises through pipes m to headers M from whence it is withdrawn by the compressor through suction pipes m which all unite in a header m Any liquid which may be forced into headers M returns to header N by pipes n The brine is admitted to compartmentl through an opening 7) in the partition 1) and after circulating-over pipes L is forced from compartment Z by propeh ler through opening 9 in partition a. lhe

shape of 'the piping of Fig. i is such as to permit considerable expansion and contraction without injury to the joints.

The mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modification without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is: I

1. In a mechanism of the character 'described, a brine tank divided-by a partition to cause the brine to How in a loop-shaped path, means to circulate said brine, a brine cooling member in contact with the circulating brine. saidmember comprising an expansion chamber adapted to hold a body of liquefied gas in astate of substantial equilibrium, a liquefied gas supply pipe connected to said chamber, an off-take pipe connected to said chamber above said body of liquefied gas to convey from said chamber the gaseous products arising from said hquefied gas, and means to Withdraw from said cooling member the accumulatmg impurities.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a brine tank divided by a partition to cause the brine to How in a loop-shaped 'c'ule .i rinea rine' path, means to cir lat sa d b b cooling member in contact with the circulating brine, said member comprising an expansion chamber adapted to holda body of liquefied gas in a state of substantial equilibrium, a liquefied gas supply pipe adapted to supply liquefied gas to said chamber, an off-take pipe connected to said chamber above said body of liquefied gas to convey from said chamber the gaseous products arising from said liquefied gas, and a gas purifying member adapted to separate the impurities accumulating in said cooling member from the liquefied gas contained therein.

3. In a mechanism of .the character described, a brine tank, a partition therein to cause the brine to flow in a loop-shaped path .in saidtank, means to circulate the brine in a state of equilibrium, and said tubes being immersed in the liquefied gas and forming passages for the circulating brine, a valve controlled pipe to supply liquefied gas to said chamber, an off-take pipe tapping said chamber above the level of the liquefied gas to convey from. said chamber the gaseous products arising from said liquid, and means to remove from said brine cooling member a portion of the cooled liquefied gas together with the impurities accumulated therein.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, a brine tank divided'by a partition to cause the brine to How in a loop-shaped path, means to circulate said brine, a brine cooling member in contact with the circulating brine, said member comprising an expansion chamber adapted to hold a body of liquefied in a state of substantial. equilibrium, a liquefied gas supply pipe connected to said chamber to supply liquefied gas thereto, an off-take pipe connected to said chamber above said body of liquefied gas to convey from said chamberthe gaseous pansion chamber adapted to hold a body of liquefied gas in a state of substantial equilibrium, a liquefied gas supply pipe conncted to said chamber to supply liquefied gas thereto, an off-take pipe connected to said chamber above said body of liquefied & 4,936

gas to cdnvey from said chamber'the gas- In testimony whereof I have affixed my eous products arising from said liquefied signature in presence of two Witnesses. gas, and a as purifyin member adapted Q t0 withdraw a portion of the cooled liquefied lgENRY PQ'WINALL. gas together with the accumulated impuri- \Vitnesses:

ties from said cooling member, and to sepa- AGNES MCCORMACK,

rate the Withdrawn gas from said impurities. I 4 C. W. MILES. 

